Former pastor, wife accused of stealing $400K from church

Updated 10:52 pm, Monday, June 25, 2012

Though "thou shalt not steal" may be a commandment always preached in church, it's not necessarily always practiced.

Two former pastors at a southeast Houston church, who are accused of stealing $430,000 from the church's accounts, were released Monday from the Harris County Jail after posting bail.

Charles Gilford, 58, and wife Adriane Gilford, 53, were indicted by a grand jury and arrested last week, each on charges of theft over $200,000 and misapplication of fiduciary property - both first-degree felonies.

The couple appeared in court Monday and made bail, at $15,000 each, after the number was lowered from the original $800,000 each.

After being tipped off by the U.S. Secret Service, the Harris County District Attorney's Office conducted a lengthy investigation of the Bethel Institutional Missionary Baptist Church's financial records, said Amy McCauley, assistant district attorney with the white- collar crimes section.

Records allege the Gilfords stole the money from Dec. 30, 2004 through July 30, 2007, said McCauley. The couple worked at the church from 2000 to 2007.

The money came directly from the church's bank accounts, she said. "They took unauthorized checks and payments from the church's accounts, and they also had an unauthorized debit card," McCauley said.

A representative at the 5530 Selinsky Road church - which serves the Cresmont Park community - said church leaders had no comment. It has been five years since the pastors were last employed there.

The pair are being represented by two separate lawyers, said Charles Gilford's attorney, Lee Van Richardson Jr.

"At this point, Mr. Gilford has no intention of doing anything other than defending his case and defending his honor," Richardson said.

If convicted, the pair could face anywhere from five to 99 years. The next court date will be Aug. 3.